“For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:37-38).
Hebrews 10:38 marks the final New Testament reference to a famous quotation from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk: “…the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The following excerpt introduces us to Habakkuk and the environment that served as the backdrop to this important Biblical concept…
“Habakkuk was a prophet with a troubled spirit. He ministered to the Jewish people during one of their darkest hours, when God was using pagan nations to punish his own people. That greatly upset the prophet.
Chapter 1 of Habakkuk is one of the most graphic, grueling, and certain records of what would soon come to pass upon Israel. He struggled with it, and he went before God, saying ‘God, how can you let these things happen? You are too holy even to behold iniquity, and yet it seems you have turned your back on your people and have let wickedness prevail in our midst. How can these things be?’
Have you ever struggled with that question yourself? Have you ever come before God in the midst of a difficult or horrible situation and said, ‘Lord, how can these things be?’ It was in that context when doubt had pushed the prophet to the brink of despair, that the Word of God proclaimed: ‘The just shall live by faith.’
It is as though, in the midst of the situation, God did not have the time to give a lengthy explanation of the intricacies of what he was doing through his sovereignty in world history, and so he simply said to his prophet: ‘Trust me.’ Trusting God is the opposite of trusting yourself—being ‘puffed up’ as the verse says. There comes a time in every Christian’s life when it seems the only answer from heaven is, ‘Trust me.’ But it is enough.” (1)
Much like the prophet Habakkuk, we may find it difficult to discern God’s purpose behind the events that occur in our lives. When we are challenged by things we cannot easily explain, we would do well to remember that “the just shall live by faith.” As we’re told in a beloved and well-known portion of the Biblical book of Proverbs…
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).
(1) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Before the face of God: Book 1: A daily guide for living from the book of Romans (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries. Page 69